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Some questions answered... Isn't it really for people who have sung in choirs before ? Most of our members never sang in public or with a choir before they joined our ranks. Many have no musical training whatsoever. Yet still they go on to surprise themselves at the levels of performance they achieve on stage and at the satisfaction that is derived when a piece of music comes together well in rehearsal. What sort of people are you looking for  ? If you are able to carry a tune enough to sing along to the radio then you probably have enough musical ability to add something to our sound which achieves its effect through a blend of voices rather than stunning individual singers. It is true that there are some excellent solo singers in all sections of our choir but it is not necessary to have an exceptional solo voice. The majority of our members would be the first to tell you that there is nothing special about their voice. An enthusiasm for singing and a willingness to put in some work learning words and music as well as a commitment to attend the majority of rehearsals are important qualities which all our members have in common. Where and when are rehearsals ? Rehearsals take place each Wednesday between 7.30pm - 9.30pm at the 'Old School' on the corner of Station Road and Lee Street in Uppermill, Saddleworth ( Click to see Map of Location ) You are warmly invited to attend some of the rehearsals without any commitment. The entrance is on the Station Road side of the building. We rehearse in the upstairs room. Can I just turn up on Wednesday night then ? Yes. By all means turn up at the upstairs room in the old school on a Wednesday night. Mention to any choir member that you have come to sit in on a rehearsal. They will be delighted to find you some sheet music of the pieces we are currently looking at and, perhaps more importantly, a seat beside a reasonably good singer which helps to give you a chance to pick up new songs.  It might be worth arriving anytime between  5 and 10 minutes early to allow for this before the actual rehearsal starts. Alternatively you could phone our recruitment officer, Stuart Iles on 0161-665-2596 to let him know you are coming. We can even arrange to give you a lift to your first rehearsals if you are not familiar with Uppermill. Is there a weekly charge for attending rehearsals ? No. The costs of hiring the room are covered by an annual subscription paid by our full members. It will cost you nothing to come along for several rehearsals to see what we are about. What costs are involved then ? There is an annual subscription of £60 pounds for full members. This covers the cost of hiring the rehearsal room each week and other incidental costs such as buying copies of new musical scores. However please note that you will not be asked to pay anything to come along for several weeks to sample what we do. It will cost you nothing during that period while you see if you like our set up in order to decide if you want to join. There is no pressure to rush into that decision. The annual subscription would only become payable from such a time that you are sure you want to sing with the choir and have successfully completed a voice test. How would I know what section my voice is suitable for ? If, from any previous singing experience, you do have an idea into which section you might fit out of bass (lowest), baritone, second-tenor or top-tenor (highest) then that is useful information to mention when you arrive. However, a more usual case for prospective choir members is that they arrive with no way of knowing which of the four sections their voice might be best suited for. This question of which section to start out with when you first arrive and the consequent practical matter of where to sit at your first rehearsal is one good reason to arrive in the rehearsal room with a few minutes to spare before 7.30pm. That will give us a few minutes to get what information we can from you ( even if it is just a very vague idea from you that your voice is "kind of high" or "quite low really" at that stage.) If in doubt, it might be suggested that you start with one of the middle sections i.e. the baritones or the second-tenors but you will have the option to move if you find it unsuitable. What would happen at the voice test ? It may sound terrifying but the reality is different. It is not an exam or a critical analysis of your voice. It is very informal and is carried out in private with just the musical director. The room will be completely cleared after a rehearsal and the musical director will sing along with you and lead you through some basic scales while he plays a strong supporting chord accompaniment on the piano. You will be coaxed gently up and down a few more scales in order to determine which of the four sections of the choir your voice fits into best. The whole thing takes about five minutes at most.  On completion of a successful voice test you become a fully fledged member of the choir Do I need to be able to read music ? Not necessarily. Although we do work from sheet music, we also work from practice tapes which are prepared for each section individually and we spend time in rehearsal going over the individual parts with the piano picking out the notes. Hence people do get by without being able to read music all that well. Most of our stage performances are carried out without sheet music in front of us so we have to get to the stage where we know each part from memory anyway. What happens at rehearsals ? The choir is arranged in seats in its four sections. Rehearsals start promptly at 7.30pm with some warm-up exercises and scales. The musical director will then work through pieces of music giving attention to parts which need it. The atmosphere is generally light-hearted but is also business-like and we do work at a pace when hard work is required. As a choir we seek and achieve very high standards and always try to do better and therefore we try to make the most of the limited rehearsal time available. There is a definate sense of teamwork and a supportive attitude from members willing each other to do well. Would I need to provide my own uniform for singing on stage ? If you join the choir and sing in concert, you will be provided with a blazer and tie for you to wear at no charge to you. A plain white shirt, grey trousers and black shoes of your own would be required to match our stage appearance. How long before I'm expected to sing in concert ? It is up you. We do encourage members to sing in concert as much as possible but you will not be pushed into it before you feel ready. There can be a lot of unfamiliar music to learn especially when you are joining as a new member and it can feel frustrating to begin with when everyone else around you seems to breeze through the pieces with ease. Depending on when you start attending rehearsals, it may be that you feel like you are struggling at first, particularly if we have already been rehearsing particular pieces for weeks or months before you arrive. It does take a couple of months typically before new singers start to feel integrated into the choir in musical terms. When you decide that you would like to appear with the choir at an engagement you should let this be known in advance to your section leader and the MD. Our recruitment officer, Stuart Iles would be delighted to answer any further questions. You can call him on 0161-665-2596 for more information or to arrange to come to a choir rehearsal. You don't even have to sing - just take a back row seat and listen to what goes on if you prefer.